


Fool Me Once

by castielshoneybee



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Deception, F/M, Feels, Season/Series 05, Season/Series 13, Smut, many feels, much sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2018-08-13 07:24:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7967698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castielshoneybee/pseuds/castielshoneybee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You've been hunting with the Winchesters for a while when you meet a man who seems like everything you need. But is he what he appears?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Trickster

**Author's Note:**

> Reader meets the Winchesters at some point after the events of Mystery Spot, but before the events of Changing Channels.
> 
>  
> 
> SPECIAL NOTE (2/9/18): In light of the events of last night's episode (13x13), this story will once again become a work in progress as it's a canon based fic. I'm very excited to be returning to this relationship!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader meets Gabriel in a bar.

"To kicking ass, yet again." Dean raises his glass, and you and Sam follow suit. You're celebrating finishing up a particularly annoying hunt that ended with you and Sam waist deep in pig shit while Dean laughed his ass off. When Sam pulled him in too, he shut up real quick. You chuckle at the thought and glance across the crowded room. A man at the bar is looking at you. He raises his drink at you, gives you a rakish smile, and winks. Really? Who winks at people? Still, he's kinda cute with that shaggy, light brown hair. Sam catches your attention, pulling you back into the conversation, and when you look back, the man is gone.

****

_So, the Winchesters adopted a girl._ The wheels turn in Gabriel's mind. _She'd be a great way to keep tabs on them. The wards won't mean a thing if I have someone telling me where they are all the time. She's cute too, so that's a bonus._ He waits for the right moment to make his move.

****

It's getting pretty late. Sam left an hour ago, and Dean is giving a thorough tonsil exam to a redhead with boobs as fake as her hair color. They get up to leave, and Dean pauses.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna finish my beer. I'll walk back to the motel." He gives you a nod, grabs the giggling redhead, and heads out. You twirl your beer bottle on the table, bored, when you feel someone walk up behind you.

"They leave you all alone sugar?" You turn and are met with a pair of eyes like honey. Winking guy. He is pretty cute.

"Yeah, that tends to happen." You smile and motion for him to join you.

"I saw the smaller guy leave with that redhead, but what happened to your boyfriend?" He sits down and sets his drink on the table.

"Sam? Oh, no, he's not my boyfriend. Those guys are sort of my brothers." He smiles, obviously pleased that you're unattached.

"I have brothers. A pain in the ass, aren't they? Always fighting and trying to drag you into the middle." You laugh and nod your head. "I'm Gabe, by the way." He sticks his hand out, so you shake and introduce yourself. "So, what do you do for a living?"

"Pharmaceutical sales. Yourself?"

"Stand up comedian."

"Really? That's pretty cool. So you travel a lot too?" His smile is really adorable.

"Yeah, all over the place. It kind of sucks, doesn't it?"

"It definitely does, but you go where the work is." You talk for what seems like forever, getting to know one another. Gabe is really funny. You can't remember the last time you laughed so hard. Finally, the bartender hollers for last call. "Gabe, you wanna get out of here?"

"I thought you'd never ask, sugar."

****

_Wow, that was easy. And she is cute. I think I actually kind of like her. She's a lot smarter than Tweedledee and Tweedledum. She's pretty funny, too._ He can't deny the pressure of his growing erection as he throws some money on the table and gets up to follow you out the door.

****

The two of you barely make it out of the bar before Gabe has you pressed up against the wall, his hands at your waist and yours wrapped around his neck. The kiss is long and deep, all dueling tongues and soft moans. You finally come up for air.

"C'mon, my motel is just down the street," you purr. He offers his arm in cheesy gentleman fashion, eliciting a little chuckle from you as you take it.

"Lead the way." It takes you a little longer than it should to get to your motel, mostly because every time you pass a new wall, Gabe pushes you against it for another mouth watering kiss. You finally arrive, and you've never been so thankful that you decided to spring for a room of your own instead of just sharing with the boys. You barely have the door closed before he's pushing you against it, closing his mouth on your neck.

"You really like pushing me against things, don't you?" you tease as you tilt your head back.

"I like making sure I have you exactly where I want you," he mumbles against your skin. You feel heat pooling in your stomach as he nips and sucks on the hollow of your throat. His hands dip under the hem of your shirt, lifting it up, and he reluctantly drags his mouth from your neck long enough to pull it over your head and discard it. You arch your back as he moves down toward your breasts, his deft fingers unclasping your bra as he reaches them. You let it fall, then reach up to tangle your hands in his hair. You gasp as his mouth finds your nipple, the wet heat of his tongue rasping across it making you shudder. He moves from one to the other, giving each an equal turn, then moves up to take your mouth in a searing kiss. As he starts unbuttoning your jeans, you toe your boots off, and he makes quick work of adding the jeans and your panties to the pile on the floor. You push off of the door and drag him the few feet to the bed. He spins you around, and you fall on your back as he stand above you, eyes taking in every inch of you.

"Something is just not right about this situation." He gives you a strange look and arches an eyebrow. "It seems I'm completely naked, and you're completely clothed. I don't like it. Fix it." His face breaks into a grin, and he laughs as his clothes join yours on the heap.

"Better?" he croons as he begins crawling up the bed, stopping to place wet kisses on your thighs.

"Mmm, much." He continues his kisses until he reaches the junction of your thighs. You open your legs wide for him, and he wastes no time, plunging his tongue between your folds. He finds your clit and presses his tongue against it. The pressure drives you mad, and you move against him to encourage him. He begins to lick and suck until you're writhing beneath him. The pressure built up in your core is almost too much to bear, and you whimper, begging for release. He slides a finger inside you as his tongue speeds up, and soon it send you over the edge. You buck and moan beneath him as you find the release you were craving. He crawls up your body until he's lying flush against you, his erection pressed against your dripping center and his lips capturing yours. You push your hands against his chest, breaking the kiss. "Condom?"

"Oh, yeah." He jumps up and grabs his pants, digging in the pocket. "Bingo!" He gives you that rakish grin, then tears open the package as he climbs back onto the bed. He rolls it on, centers himself, enters you quickly, then stops for a moment to get used to the sensation, kissing you again. You wrap your legs around his hips, digging your heels into his ass as he starts to move. You feel tightness coiling in your core again, more and more with each thrust as he begins to move faster. He hovers above you, looking into your eyes. He looks so sexy with his hair falling in his face, and his expression is pure, raw hunger. It's enough to push you over the edge again, and you dig your fingers into his shoulders as ecstasy consumes you. The feel of your walls clutching him has him following you a few erratic thrusts later. He falls to the bed, turning to his side. You turn as well and wiggle back against him, spooning.

****

 _Wow. That was the opposite of terrible._ He snuggles closer. _This might be harder than I thought._

****

"So, I was thinking." He speaks softly, lips close to your ear.

"Mmm?"

"I'd really like to see you again. Since we both travel so much, maybe we could keep in touch? Get together whenever we find our paths close?"

"I think that's a great idea." You smile, snuggling closer as you begin to doze.


	2. The Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader falls in love, but discovers Gabe isn't what he seems.

"So, tell us about this guy." Sam's putting on his big brother hat despite the fact that he's younger than you.

"His name is Gabe. He's nice. He's really funny. He's on the road too, so we decided to keep in touch and get together whenever our travels bring us close. I don't know. Seems like a pretty good set up. Casual, kind of regular, oh, and he's great in bed." You throw the last bit in offhandedly, waiting for the reaction.

"Oh, come on! Too much information!" Dean throws his hands up and takes a step back. There it is.

"What? Does the thought of me having sex freak you out?" You're going to milk this for all it's worth.

"Yes it freaks me out! You're like my sister dammit!" You try to hold in your laughter.

"So you don't want to hear about his hands on me, how he pushed me against a wall and kissed me?"

"No! Dude!" Dean puts his hands over his ears.

"Give the guy a break. You're going to scar him for life." You and Sam break out in laughter while Dean gives you both a death glare.

****

It's been six months since you met Gabe. You've met up a handful of times, and each time has been better than the last, though you find yourself sadder and sadder each time you have to part. You talk on the phone a lot, but when you're not with him, you miss his presence. Despite your best intentions, you're falling for the guy. You think about him all the time, wondering what he's doing, wondering if he's thinking of you. Still, at least you have that little bit of time together, so it'll have to do. He doesn't strike you as the relationship type, and in your line of work, they aren't really an option anyway. You sigh and turn back to your research.

****

 _You're so stupid, Gabriel!_ His fingers twitch, resisting the urge to pick up his phone. _She's just a means to an end. You do not have feelings for her. For all intents and purposes, she's a Winchester, for father's sake! Get yourself together!_ He wonders how many times he'll have to tell himself that before he finally believes it, then picks up the phone.

****

"Gabe!"

"Hey, cupcake! Where are you?"

"Rockford, Illinois. You?"

"Chicago!"

"Really? Meet me in the middle?"

"You know it, sugar tits." You tap a few keys on your laptop.

"Looks like Elgin is about halfway." A few more taps, and you give him the name of a motel. "See you in an hour or so." You hang up, chuckling at the stupid pet name.

****

You pull into the motel, parking in front of the room number Gabe texted you ten minutes prior. Somehow, he always manages to get there first. The door opens before you reach it. You throw yourself into his arms.

"Watching out for me?"

"Always." He places an absent kiss on your hair. "So, how are the boys?" You fall into conversation as you move over to the bed, climbing in and resting your head against Gabe's chest. At the beginning, your meetings were all hunger, but recently, something has shifted. You talk more, cuddle more. Sure, there's still sex, really great sex, but that's not what it's all about anymore. You sigh and snuggle in closer. The words come out before you even realize you're saying them.

"I love you, Gabriel." You feel his heart beat faster. Oh, shit. You fucked up. You look up at him, panic in your eyes, but you see only tenderness in his.

"I love you, too." His words register in your brain, and your heart pounds in your chest. He leans toward you, and you meet him halfway, sharing a tender, loving kiss. It quickly deepens, your tongues mingling. You break the kiss long enough to shed your clothes, diving back onto one another as soon as they're off. You push Gabe onto his back and straddle him, looking deep into his eyes as you sink onto him. You roll your hips, and he groans and reaches up to cup your breasts. You begin to move slowly. You have all the time in the world for this man, feeling his love flow through you as you bend forward and capture his mouth in a gentle kiss. You raise yourself up, hands splayed out on his chest as you increase your pace, but just a little. You want this to last. He takes your hands, threading his fingers through yours, a simple act, yet somehow so intimate. You lean back a little, using your grip on one another for leverage, eyes never leaving his. You seem to go on like this forever. You feel the tension building in your core, and you can't keep yourself from speeding up. He makes that face, the one that means he's close, so you move even faster, breasts bouncing as you get closer to your release. He lets one of your hands go and reaches between you, finding your clit and rubbing gently. It pushes you over, walls clenching around him as he finds his release seconds later. You collapse on top of him, head resting on his chest. He kisses the top of your head.

****

 _You're in trouble now, Gabriel._ He hadn't meant to say I love you. _But you do, idiot. You do love her, but you have to stick with the plan. You just have to keep her out of it somehow._

****

"Gabe?" If you and he are really going to make a go of this, you have to tell him the truth. "I have to tell you something."

"What is it, sweet cheeks?" You take a deep breath.

"I wasn't completely honest with you. I'm not really in pharmaceutical sales."

****

_Shit. She's going to tell me she's a hunter. Act surprised. Play it cool._

****

"What would you say if I told you ghosts were real?"

"I'd say, 'Duh.'" He flashes you that smile that melts your heart.

"Okay, how about vampires? Werewolves? Demons? Angels? What if I told you they were all real, everything that children have had nightmares about for all of time?"

"I'd say, 'Hand over the crazy pills.'" You know he's trying to joke, but you can't smile. His voice turns serious. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Look, I know it sounds insane, but I travel around the country and hunt things that aren't supposed to be real. But the thing is, they are." You hold your breath, waiting for him to tell you you're crazy, that he'd never be with someone as nuts as you. He's quiet for a long time. Finally, he lets out a sigh.

"Okay." You look up at him, seeing love and acceptance in his whiskey eyes.

"Really? You don't think I'm crazy? You're not going to run as fast as you can out of here?"

"Oh, you're crazy, but so am I. Everybody's crazy in their own way, baby cakes. I've seen some things that are pretty out there. It's not much of a stretch to believe all those things that go bump are real." He kisses your nose, and you giggle in relief. He really believes you. It seems too good to be true. "So where are you headed for real?"

"Ohio. Sam found us a case. They're going to meet me here in the morning. A guy got his head ripped off. Police are saying it was a bear."

"That doesn't sound very spooky."

"He was in his bedroom."

"Okay, that's pretty weird. Get some sleep, sugar. I gotta head back to Chicago tonight."

"Aww. Stay till morning. I'll introduce you to Sam and Dean."

"I wish I could, but I gotta go." You pout a little as he gets dressed. He leans over and give you a gentle kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too." You watch him walk out the door, then snuggle into the blankets to try and get some sleep, missing him already.

****

"There was a murder here, and there's no police cars. There's nobody. How's that look to you?" Dean seems confused as he surveys the scene. The three of you stand outside the warehouse. This is definitely the right address. Something's not right.

"Crappy," Sam replies. Dean pulls flashlights and stakes out of the trunk and passes them around. Sam takes point with Dean behind and you bring up the rear. You turn to close the door quietly, and when you turn back around, you're alone.

What the hell do you do now? You searched the warehouse from top to bottom. They're just gone. You waited through the night. They never reappeared. You're sitting in your motel room trying to figure out your next move. You're going to need help, so you begin to pray.

"Castiel? Cas? I need your help. Sam and Dean are missing. They vanished practically in front of me. The Trickster's involved. Please hear me." You hear a flutter of wings.

"Hello." You turn around to find Castiel standing there. After you fill him in, you spend the entire day waiting while Cas uses his angel mojo to try and locate them. Finally, he appears and says you need to go down to the warehouse.

"But they're not there. I searched the whole place."

"They are. The 'Trickster' has altered reality, trapping them in an alternate one. I'm not so sure he's a trickster, though. This is much too powerful. I think we're dealing with an angel."

****

"Wait here in the car. It's going to be difficult enough getting in there myself. I won't be able to take you with me." You start to protest, but he's already gone.

****

It's been hours with no sign of Cas or the boys. You manage to get a little sleep. Something wakes you up. A sound? A crackle of electricity in the air? You're not sure, but the sun's up again, and you're sick of waiting in the car. You get out, but as you approach the warehouse, you hear voices inside. You crack the door open so you can hear.

"Guys. I wish this were a TV show. Easy answers, endings wrapped up in a bow...but this is real, and it's gonna end bloody for all of us. That's just how it's gotta be." You know that voice. You step inside, and there they are, Sam, Dean, and, inside a ring of holy fire, Gabe. You feel like you got hit by a truck.

"Gabe?" Sam and Dean look at you, then back at the angel.

"Wait. Gabe? Your Gabe?" Deans eyes flash.

"Yes," you spit out through gritted teeth. Anger has replaced your shock, and you stalk toward the ring of fire.

"Sugar, listen. I can explain..."

"Don't you dare 'sugar' me, you asshole!" You reach down, pick up a chunk of concrete, and hurl it as hard as you can. It hits him square in the chest.

"Ow! Babe, come on..."

"No! You shut the fuck up! So you're an angel?" You stalk around the circle.

"An archangel," Sam supplies.

"The archangel Gabriel? Well, this just gets even better, doesn't it? I loved you, but I was just a way for you to keep tabs on us, wasn't I?

"Well, initially, yes, but..."

"Fuck you, Gabriel. You're right, Dean. Angels really are dicks." You turn on your heel and walk out the door. Because you never look back, you don't see the utter heartbreak on the archangel's face.

****

You try to reign in your tears as you see Sam and Dean come out of the warehouse. Castiel is with them. Thank goodness he's okay. They all pile into the car.

"What did you do with him?"

"I triggered the sprinkler."

"I wish you'd left him to rot." You glance out the back window and think, for just a moment, that you see him standing just outside the warehouse door, and then he's gone.


	3. The Lover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel tries to win the reader back, then there will be feels. Many feels.

It started with small things, chocolates on the pillow of a motel that definitely wasn't the type to provide that service, a candy bar you didn't buy in the bottom of your bag from the Gas N Sip. You know exactly what he's trying to do, but you're not going to fall for it.

****

 _You can win her back. Just put on the trickster charm. Women always eat that up._ She's not like other women, though. He's afraid she'll never forgive him, and it breaks his heart.

****

You're driving along a back road, heading back from a milk run. It was just a salt and burn, so you left Sam and Dean to continue dealing with the apocalypse shit. It's a nice day, and you flip on the radio.

_I know a girl who's soft and sweet_  
_She's so fine, she can't be beat_  
_Got everything that I desire_  
_Sets the summer sun on fire_

_I want candy_  
_I want candy_

You groan and change the station.

_Candy Girl_  
_You are my world_  
_You look so sweet_  
_You're a special treat_

Are you fucking kidding me? You change it again.

_Sugar_  
_Ah, honey, honey_  
_You are my candy girl_  
_And you got me wanting you_

The brakes squeal as you pull over. You flick the radio off.

"Enough, Gabriel! Get your lying, manipulative, feathered ass down here! We are having this out once and for all!" There's a flutter of wings, and Gabriel is sitting in the passenger seat.

"Miss me, sweet cheeks?" He looks at you with that smirk, so you reach back and punch him right in his stupid face. "Ow!" He rubs his nose, then sighs. "I suppose I deserved that."

"You deserve worse than that. If I had an angel blade right now, I can't guarantee that I wouldn't shove it right into your heart so you would feel a fraction of the pain you've put me through."

"Look, honey, I know how it looks..."

"No, you don't get to talk. You're going to sit there and listen. I thought we had something, that maybe I could actually have something normal. Stupid of me, I guess. Hunters don't get to have normal. Then I find out that not only are you not who I thought you were, but that you were using me the whole time to get to Sam and Dean. You broke my heart, Gabe." You slump, looking out the window to avoid looking at him. You sit in silence for a moment. When he speaks, his voice is soft and lacking its usual snark.

"Not the whole time." You chance a look at him. His head is bent, studying his hands in his lap.

"What?"

"Yes, it started that way, but something changed. I changed. You laughed at all my jokes, you saw me, not the angel or the trickster, just Gabriel. Thinking about you made me smile, and I found myself doing it all the time. You didn't notice that we were in the same area more and more often? I couldn't stay away from you. I fell in love with you, and when you walked out of that warehouse, it felt like my whole world came apart. I almost wished Dean had just left me in that ring of fire. I deserved it for messing up the one truly good thing that's ever happened to me since the beginning of the universe. And I know you'll probably never forgive me, I probably wouldn't forgive me, but I have to try, because I need you. Not because of what you can give me, but because you make me want to do better, to be better." He looks up from his hands and into your eyes. Your voice is gentler when your next question comes out, but there's still bitterness.

"So trapping Sam and Dean in an alternate reality to get them to say yes to Michael and Lucifer was you being better?"

"I didn't think I had a choice. Dean said something to me, though, just before he left. He said I was too much of a coward to stand up to my family, and he was right. I've spent millennia running away, trying to stay out of the fight between my brothers, and it's time for me to finally pick a side. So, I choose humanity, okay?" He looks back down at his hands, defeated. You're both quiet for what feels like an hour, but was probably just a minute or two. He looks so vulnerable. You've never seen that side of him; he hides it so well, but you know now that it's always been there, and you find your anger melting away. You take a deep breath.

"Okay." He looks up, shock in his features.

"Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." You reach over and take his hand. "But if I find out you lied to me again, I'm going to take Castiel's blade and shove it right up your ass."

"You promise?" He gives you a mischievous little smile, and you can't help but bark out a laugh. He lifts your entwined hands and kisses your fingers, each one in turn, then the back of your hand. He moves up to your wrist, kissing the pulse point, then the inside of your elbow, making you shiver. He leans toward you and plants a trail of light kisses across your shoulder, punctuating the kiss at the base of your neck with a tiny suck. You feel your panties dampen. He continues the trail up the side of your neck and across your jaw, stopping a hair's breadth from your lips. He hovers there, his breath mingling with yours.

"Why did you stop?" you whisper. His eyes are so close, you can see every different shade in them. It seems like there are hundreds, and it takes your breath away.

"I love you," he breathes, then his mouth is on yours, gently, sweetly. It feels like time has stopped. You part your lips slightly, and he takes the invitation to deepen the kiss, slowly feeling his way around your mouth with his tongue. You bring the hand that's not holding his up to cup his face. His other hand glides around your waist and slides down to rest on your hip. You stay like that for a while, just leisurely kissing, enjoying the familiarity of one another's mouths. Finally, Gabe breaks the kiss and rests his forehead on yours.

"So, beautiful, what do you say we go somewhere a little more comfortable?" He waggles his eyebrows, eliciting a giggle from you.

"I think that's a great idea." With a flutter of wings and a slight spinning sensation, you find yourself in a beautiful hotel suite complete with romantic lighting, and, of course, chocolate on the pillows. You turn, looking around the room. "You planned this."

"Hey, a guy can hope." He comes up behind you and wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you against him and leaning down to gently suck your neck. You lean your head against his shoulder and bring you arms up to tangle in his hair. His hands move up under your shirt and cup your breasts. You moan. God, you missed this, missed him. You feel his hard length pressing against you. One hand leaves your breast, and you hear Gabe's fingers snap, then his hand returns. A chill touches your skin, and you realize you're both naked.

"Well, that's certainly an interesting trick." You grind your ass against his erection, causing him to gasp.

"Perks of being an angel, sweetheart." He says, walking you over to the bed. He growls as he spins you around and attacks your neck in earnest. Hunger replaces tenderness, and you grasp at his shoulders, digging your fingers into his firm flesh. His mouth find yours, tongues dueling, his hands kneading your ass. You break the kiss and give him a mischievous smirk of your own as you slide down his body. You take his length in your hand, pumping it a few times before before licking the drops of precum from the tip. He moans and cards his fingers through your hair as your lips meet his tender flesh. You begin sliding him in and out your mouth, and he moves his hips, encouraging you. You hollow your cheeks and take him in deep, relishing in his sharp intake of air. You glance up at him. His eyes are closed in ecstasy. You move faster, and soon he begins to twitch. You moan around him, and the vibrations send him over the edge. You feel his seed fill your throat, and you swallow every drop. You remove his softening cock from your mouth, pausing to lick the last few drops of cum from the tip. You climb up and sit on the edge of the bed, then scoot back and lie down, head resting on the pillows, presenting yourself to him.

"See anything you like?" You purr. You reach your hand up and pluck the chocolate from the pillow next to your head, unwrapping it and placing it seductively in your tongue. "Mmmm..." The growl that comes from Gabriel's mouth is nothing short of animalistic as he dives on top of you and attacks your mouth, tasting the remains of the chocolate. He's already hard again, and he wastes no time, throwing one of your legs over his shoulder and slipping inside you.

"Feels so good. Missed you so much." As he thrusts, you feel the tension building in your core. He slides in and out of you at a relentless pace. Suddenly, your brain registers something moving around your clit, pressing it, teasing it, driving you mad. Gabe's hands are no where near it, though. You tense up.

"What..."you manage to stammer out.

"Sugar, you have no idea how many times I've wanted to touch you with my grace, and now I can." His grace. Holy shit that's sexy. You relax again, letting his cock and his grace hit you in all the right places. He thrusts even faster, willing you over the edge. He leans forward, practically bending your leg to your ear, and lightly bites your nipple. The sensation is too much on top of everything else, and you peak, waves of pleasure washing over you. He thrusts a few more times, then empties himself into you with a groan. You untangle yourselves, and Gabe climbs onto the bed next to you, pulling you close. You lie in silence, enjoying the feel of your bodies pressed close together.

"Thank you," Gabe says softly.

"For what? The amazing sex? You're welcome." You tweak his nipple, and he jumps, then lets out a laugh.

"Hey, watch it! I'm a delicate flower." You can't help but laugh at that one. "Seriously, though, thank you for giving me another chance. You won't regret it." You snuggle close, happy to have your archangel back in your arms.

****

_This is bad. Those idiots are going to get themselves killed. Looks like it's time for me to put up or shut up._

****

The rain is relentless, and the hotel was like a beacon in the downpour, so you stopped. This place is weird, though. Something isn't right. You and the boys split up to check things out. You turn a corner in a hallway, and suddenly two men grab you from behind.

"It's the Winchesters' girl. Should we take her to Kali?" One asks.

"No, she's not important. She's just meat. Let's put her with the others." They drag you down to the kitchen and throw you in the walk in cooler. You try the door, but it's locked, and there's no way to get it open from the inside. You turn around. There are people scattered about. Everyone is terrified. This isn't good. They surround you, questions flying.

"Everything's going to be okay. My friends will find us and get us out of here. I promise." You hope it's a promise you can keep. After a seemingly interminable amount of time, you hear voices outside. Familiar voices. You run to the window.

"Sam? Help us!"

"Oh my god! Hang on, we'll get you out!" He starts trying to pick the lock.

"Hurry up!" Dean urges.

"I'm going as fast as I," he turns to look at Dean, and his voice trails off. "As I can," he finishes. Your eyes widen as Sam turns around to answer him. It's the two goons who nabbed you.

"There's somebody behind me, isn't there?" Dean asks, but it's more of a statement than a question. The goons grab the boys, but instead of throwing them in with you, they take them away.

"Your friends really came through," some guy says sarcastically.

"Shut up. They know we're here. They'll be back." You all fall into an uncomfortable silence. Time passes, you have no idea how much. Suddenly, you hear a rustle of wings. "Gabriel?"

"Shh, I'm getting you out of here." Suddenly, you're in the back of the Impala.

"Gabe, what the hell is going on?"

"Listen to me, sugar, I don't have much time. There's a whole dream team of old gods in there, and they're gearing up to take on Lucifer. They're not going to win. They have no idea how powerful my brother is. I'm going to get the Wonder Twins out of there, and I need you to stay out here."

"No way, Gabe. I can help!" You start to open the door. He grabs you.

"Baby, please. I can't have you in there. All I'll think about is you and keeping you safe, and I can't be distracted. This is incredibly important. Please, just this once, stay here and keep yourself safe." He's pleading. You resign yourself.

"Fine," you huff in frustration.

"There's one more thing, since, you know, honesty and all. One of the gods in there, Kali, is kind of my ex." He looks at you sheepishly.

"Kali, the destroyer?" You laugh. "Isn't she like, blue, with a bunch of arms and a long tongue? Never mind. I see why she appealed to you." It's his turn to laugh. He kisses your nose.

"My taste has improved since then." He looks at you, then give you a loving kiss. "Be back in a flash, sweet cheeks."

****

More time passes. You end up falling asleep. Suddenly, someone is shaking you awake. It's Gabe.

"What happened? Where are Sam and Dean?" You look around, but they're not there.

"So, things kind of went sideways in there. Frick and Frack are okay, at least they were a few minutes ago. We need to figure out plan B." Suddenly the doors open, and all the people from the cooler come streaming out, with Dean holding the door. Gabe calls him over, and he climbs in. After a heated discussion, Dean storms back into the hotel.

"He's right, you know. We can't leave them in there. If you're really on humanity's side, you need to take a stand against your brother." He sighs.

"I know." There's such sadness in his eyes, it breaks your heart. Something in the hotel lobby catches your eye. It's Lucifer. You smack Gabe's shoulder and point. "Shit. Well, I guess it's now or never." He takes your face in his hands, looking long and hard into your eyes. "If I don't make it out, know that I love you, and I'm doing this for you." A tear escapes your eye and tumbles down your cheek. "Hey, sugar, don't cry. I'm sure I'll get out of there in one piece. I am the trickster, after all." He winks, then leans in and gives you a long, tender kiss. You don't want it to end, but it eventually has to. "I'll see you again. Oh, one more thing. I'm going to give Dean a video. Please don't watch it." And in a flash, he's gone.

A short time later, the hotel doors open again. Sam, Dean, and a woman come running out and climb into the Impala. Dean starts the car and peals out of the lot. You look back and see a blinding flash of light. You wait. He doesn't appear. You wait some more, praying to him the whole time. He still doesn't appear. Your heart doesn't want to register what your brain is telling it. He lost the fight. It hits you like a ton of bricks. Gabriel is gone. For real gone. Forever gone. No one speaks as you drive into the night, the silence broken only by the sound of the sobs that wrack your body as you grieve for your fallen archangel.


	4. The Prodigal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get a call from Sam that turns your whole world upside down.

He sits on the small, stone bed, leans forward, and rests his elbows on his knees. He hangs his head, his lank, greasy hair falling in front of his face, and thinks of her. It’s been so long, and he only has enough grace at any given time that they don't have to feed him. He lets out an approximation of a bitter laugh. It would've been hard to eat with his mouth sewn shut anyway. He tries to remember her eyes. His memory is human enough to fail him. He remembers the other senses better. Her smell. Clean, a little sweet with the scent of her coconut lotion, and just the slightest hint of gun oil underneath. He remembers the feel of her hair in his hands. It was soft when he ran his fingers through it. The feel of her lips on his skin, as soft as her hair. He's sorry for the time he wasted hiding. He could've been with her. His thoughts are interrupted when he hears footsteps in the hall. They stop in front of his cell. He doesn't look up until after the little window opens. Asmodeus and another man he'd called Ketch. His nostrils flare. Gabriel is broken, but he knows three things. One. He is going to get out of here. Two. He is going to get home to her. And three. He is going to set the record for how many times a demon can be killed and brought back to life just to be killed again in a newer, more creative way.

****

You’re in Green River, Utah. It's a little strip of a town right on the edge of nowhere, but you'd had a lead on a spell to get into the cage, or, at least you thought you had. Turned out to be another dead end. You’re determined to find another way into the cage. You have to get some of Michael's grace if there's going to be any hope of getting Jack and Mary back. Sometimes you wonder if Gabriel is alive in that other universe. It wouldn't be your Gabriel, though. Eight years he'd been gone, and sometimes it still felt like eight minutes. You grieved, you tried to heal, but just when it felt like you'd made progress, something would remind you of him. A smell, a sound, and suddenly it would feel like he was standing right beside you. The feeling was always fleeting, but it was enough to make you miss him again, to wish you could put your arms around him again. His eyes. You wish you could remember all the colors in his eyes. You used to dream about him, vivid, happy dreams. Sometimes the dreams were the only thing that had kept you going, and then they stopped. You hadn’t had one in years, and you'd forgotten all the colors in his eyes. Your phone begins to ring, so you take a deep breath to get yourself together, then pick it up and look at the screen. 

“Hey, Sam. Another dead end here. I'll be heading home in the morning. How'd it go with the Seal?”

“We got it, but that's not why I'm calling. I think you should head back tonight.” You go on alert. Sam's voice sounds odd.

“What happened, Sam? Is Dean okay?”

“He’s okay. Well, at least I think he is.”

“What do you mean, you think? Where's Dean, Sam?”

“We opened the portal.”

“Wha...how? You need the grace of an archangel.”

“Ketch showed up here at the bunker, and he wasn't alone.” You gasp.

“Ketch found Lucifer?”

“No. Umm, it’s Gabriel.” Your heart feels like it’s stopped. Your breath catches in your throat. 

“No. He's dead. He wouldn't let me think he was dead for all this time.”

“Trust me, it's him, and I don't think he had a choice.”

“What did he say?”

“He's not saying anything, like, at all. Apparently, Asmodeus was keeping him prisoner, maybe this whole time.” Your stomach lurches. 

“Oh, God, Sam. I'm leaving now.”

“Hey, I need to warn you. He's pretty messed up.”

“I don't care. He's alive. We'll fix whatever’s wrong. I'll see you in twelve hours or so.” You hang up the phone. Gabe is alive. He's alive. You throw your stuff into your bag and practically run out of the motel room. You need to get to him. Your angel is alive.


End file.
